Ashes 2017: 2nd Test, day 1, 5 things we learnt from the day

It was all Australia until the lights came in at Adelaide and the pink ball started doing its magic. Four balls into the final session post dinner and James Anderson sent back the settled Usman Khawaja. Soon after, Craig Overton toiled hard to nip one past Steven Smith's defence. The hosts ended day 1 of the second Ashes Test, a day-night affair, with 209 on the board for the loss of four wickets.

Having opted to bowl first, none of the England bowlers bowled the right lines and the visitors struggled to gather any kind of momentum. The energy levels had gone down rather early and the Aussies were cruising when Chris Woakes made his presence felt in the series with a direct hit and the wicket of Cameron Bancroft. The late strikes further pushed Australia back but Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh negotiated some tricky late overs.

#5 Root makes a bizarre choice

Root opted to bowl first at Adelaide

There was widespread anticipation surrounding the second match of the Ashes series. The seventh day-night Test match in the history of cricket and the third at Adelaide was expected to be a chance for England to redeem themselves after a disastrous loss in the series opener at the Gabba.

All went right for the English until Joe Root walked out for the toss, won it and opted to bowl first. It was a bizarre choice given that the Adelaide wicket reeked of a batting track. Since 1982, only one team was won the toss, elected to field at Adelaide and walked away with a victory.

Add to that the factor of batting last on a day-night wicket and the choice seemed even more weird.

#4 England bowlers go wayward

Anderson was anticipated to make better use of the new pink ball

Once Root had opted to bowl first, it was upto the England bowlers to run in hard and exploit the movement on offer and make the brand new pink ball count. However, that never quite materialised as Anderson and Broad kept sending down short deliveries on a fifth wicket line.

After 70 balls into the innings, just one ball had been aimed at the stumps by the England seamers. None of them looked threatening enough to put the Aussies on the back foot. David Warner and Cameron Bancroft looked pretty solid throughout and negotiated the wide line quite easily.

The rain managed to make a better impression early in the game than the England new ball bowlers.

#3 Chris Woakes' day out

Woakes was tight with his lines and was rewarded with the scalp of Warner

It wasn't the ideal start for England but it turned better when Moeen Ali misfielded, and Chris Woakes ran out Cameron Bancroft after 14 overs. The 33-run partnership was broken and England had broken through courtesy a lucky break in the field. That said, Woakes should be credited for observing and making use of the opportunity to effect a direct hit and catch Bancroft short.

Almost as many overs later, it was Woakes who once again struck for the English. A set David Warner is as dangerous as it gets and Woakes cramped him for room with his lines and eked out an outside edge from a non-existent cut shot. Woakes nearly had Usman Khawaja caught off a threatening bouncer but Mark Stoneman dropped a sitter at long-leg.

#2 Usman Khawaja's day-night obsession continues

Usman Khawaja looked in exceptional touch as he notched up a fine half-century

Usman Khawaja has a thing for day-night Tests. He hit a fabulous 145 at Adelaide against South Africa last year in the day-night Test, when Australia were trailing 2-0 in the series. His century had then helped the hosts save their face with a consolation win. Against Pakistan, in Australia's third day-night game, Khawaja once again hit his straps with a fine half-century.

Against England, Khawaja was once again at it, enjoying the pink ball while several batsmen have kept complaining about the same. He remained unbeaten on 53 by dinner, courtesy a dropped catch by Mark Stoneman. However, he fell to Anderson without adding to his tally after the dinner break.

#1 England manage a way past Steven Smith

Young Craig Overton broke the Smith spell, cleaning him up under the lights

Batting under the lights is perhaps the biggest challenge against the pink ball. But nothing is difficult for Steven Smith. The man who holds the record for the best average among contemporaries in Test cricket is a run machine of the highest order.

Craig Overton, on his Test debut, was possibly the most unlikeliest of candidates to get Smith out. But the seamer bowled some tight lines to the Aussies skipper, forced mistakes and put him in a spot of bother before ripping through his defence to send the bails flying and spark an unprecedented celebration.